In order to allow relative movement of structural parts of a structure, such as buildings, bridges, elevated highways, and mechanical systems (machinery), bearings, such as block rubber bearings, are used. The movement between the parts must be allowed, in order to prevent damages, since some or all the structural parts may themselves be influenced by, e.g. their use (e.g. mechanically induced oscillations), seismic activity or wind. An example of such bearings may be cylindrical blocks of rubber used to allow horizontal movement between the pillars of a bridge and the parts making up the deck of the bridge. Especially the deck is influenced by wind and oscillations created by vehicles moving on the deck, and must be allowed controlled movement with respect to the pillars. Such bearings typically comprise an e.g. cylindrical rubber block being fixedly connected at each end surface of the cylindrical block to a structural part of the structure. The rubber block may to a limited extend be compressed in the vertical direction allowing vertical movement, and it may bend with respect to a vertical axis—through the end surfaces of the block- or twist/rotate about this vertical axis thus allowing movement in a horizontal plane. Such bearings are adequate for allowing smaller oscillations from the intended use. However in order to make such bearings being able to cope with vibration or oscillations of higher amplitude, attempts has been made to reinforce the standard rubber bearing. Some bearings of this type may therefore further comprise a metal core, e.g. a lead core, or a steel spring embedded in the rubber block in order to reinforce the bearing and to ensure that the bearing and thereby the structural parts are forced back to their original position after the movement. Also known in the art, are bearings having horizontally oriented, parallel steel plates embedded in the rubber block. However, such bearings are poor in damping movements. In order to overcome this problem, rubber bearings having a set of steel braces formed between fixture plates arranged at opposing end surfaces of the rubber block, are known. These, to a certain degree provide damping of the systems in which they are positioned, but are highly inflexible. Examples of such rubber bearings are shown in FIG. 1. Experience has shown that e.g. the above mentioned lead enforced bearings are not very durable, and that they will wear or break down after only tens of “larger” amplitude vibrations/oscillations. Since, such bearings are usually situated in structures for many years this is disadvantageous, since they may thus cause costly and technically cumbersome replacements.
Hence, an improved bearing providing damping of the movement between structural parts of structures, such as buildings, bridges, elevated highways, and mechanical systems (machinery), while also allowing flexible movement between the structural parts would be advantageous, and in particular a more efficient and/or reliable bearing would be advantageous.